You may be wondering who brand photography is for?
Check out my previous post about What are Branding Photos? to learn more about branding photos.
It’s been kind of a buzz word in recent years. But I know people still have a lot of questions about branding photography. Branding Photography is the genre of photography that covers all aspects of a business brand. It includes photos of the owner(s)/founder(s), lifestyle photos, headshots of the team/staff, behind the scenes photos, action photos, and more.
Essentially, branding photography is business marketing photography. Brand photos are used by a business to market and promote their business in order to gain new clients and make more sales.
1. Personal Brand Photography is for personal brands
Personal brand photography and brand photography are often used interchangeably as terms. However, I’ll note that a personal brand is different from a brand in a couple of ways. As the name suggests, a personal brand is built upon an individual in most cases. A brand is built upon a business entity (usually).
Think of brands like Oprah and Joanna Gaines. They are personal brands.
Or think of brands like Nike and Disney. Those are brands not built upon a single person.
Neither option is “better” than the other. I’m just laying out for you.
Generally speaking, a personal brand is more personality driven and surrounds the face of the brand. If you are the face of your brand, you should have personal branding photography. It’s important for potential customers to get to know YOU in addition to your product or service.
2. Brand Photography is for small business owners
You may be wondering if brand photography is for you if you’re a small business owner. And the answer is resoundingly, YES!
Pretty much all small business owners of all types can benefit from branding photography. If you have a business, if you’re selling a product or service, and looking for new customers and clients, your business can benefit from brand photography.
Branding photos can give you an edge in your business. Here’s the truth that most people don’t talk about or they ignore sometimes. People like to do business with people. There’s a deeper element of trust that is built when you know the person behind the business.
In order for someone browsing on the internet to get to know you and your business, they need to see you. It doesn’t mean you have to share all your personal business with the world. However, if you are the face of your business, a potential client needs to at least see you on your website on an about page.
Your website’s about page is a great place to tell the story of your business, how you started, what inspired you to start your business, and your mission statement or values. People like to see your about page. It’s also a great place to showcase your team (if you have one) and you can show who else the client may interact with in your business.
3. Branding Photography is for entrepreneurs
Are you an entrepreneur or solopreneur? Branding photography is for you, too!
Even if you’re someone who is multipassionate with your hand in multiple projects or perhaps you work on one project and move onto the next, you, too, can build a brand. A personal brand.
You’d probably need more lifestyle photos that works across websites, social media, and promotional materials. By building personal brand recognition, other entrepreneurs will start to recognize you. This is great especially if you want to collaborate, partner, and mastermind.
4. Brand Photography is for service providers
Next, whether you’re an accountant, virtual assistant, wedding planner, bookkeeper, roofer, realtor, or any kind of service provider, you can benefit from brand photography. This is especially true if you’re building your business as a personal brand.
What does that mean? Here’s an example of how brand photography can help you.
Let’s say you’re a financial planner. And you’re looking at two different financial planners.
Each financial planner has a website. Each financial planner has 10+ years experience.
However, here’s where it gets interesting.
Financial Planner A has a generic website. It’s informative. There’s a place to book a call.
Financial Planner B has a more customized website. They include photos of themselves. You find out that they have a family. This lets you get to know them a little better. You see the photos of them working with clients. There’s pictures of them smiling and can get a little more of a vibe. You can see that they have a more personal brand. It’s also informative and there’s a place you can book a call.
If you’re in the market for a financial planner, who would you be more drawn to?
For me, definitely Financial Planner B.
That’s how brand photography can work for your business.
5. Brand Photography is important to establish yourself
Want to establish yourself as an expert in your industry? Brand photographs and personal branding photography can help you get there.
Again, it bears repeating, people like to do business with people. Similarly, if I had a choice of buying a product from my friend or a stranger on the internet, I’d choose my friend – so I can support them and their business.
What if you’re just starting out? Even if you’re just starting out, take photos of yourself and what you do (even if a friend takes them to get started) is better than no photos as all.
Brand photographs allow you to command higher rates, too. Whenever you look legit, you can charge legit, premium pricing for your work. And who doesn’t want to be paid better?
Have you ever had someone send you a friend request on Facebook or follow you on Instagram and they don’t have a profile photo? That instantly makes me suspicious and inclined to decline the request. When that happens, I’ll sometimes try to find them to see if they are legit. Other times, I’ll just delete it. I don’t need faceless spammers trying to follow me.
What if you don’t have time or money for a branding shoot?
At the very least, if you’re just getting starting in business or perhaps you don’t have the time or money for a full branding photoshoot right now, have a photo of yourself. I promise that clients you want to work with care about the business owner/service provider/personal brand just as much as the product or service. Furthermore, If the client has an “anyone can do this” mentality, they’re probably also looking for a deal, and it’s usually a bit of a red flag.
Grab your phone, face a window, smile and take a selfie. Better yet, grab a friend, face a window, smile, and get a photo of yourself. If you’re outside, stand in a shaded spot so you’re not squinting in the sun.
HELPFUL RESOURCES TO PREPARE FOR YOUR BRAND PHOTOGRAPHY SHOOT
Personal Branding Photography – What You Should Know
How to Find the Right Brand Photographer for Your Business
When to Hire a Brand Photographer
How to Use Your Branding Photos
READY TO BOOK YOUR OWN BRANDING SHOOT?
Step 1. Get in Touch – click here to get started
Step 2. Discovery Call – we’ll chat about your business and your vision for brand photos
Step 3. Book your Shoot – if we’re a “match” let’s get you on the schedule and start planning
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